An imaging microscope (12) for generating an image of a sample (10) comprises a beam source (14) that emits a temporally coherent illumination beam (20), the illumination beam (20) including a plurality of rays that are directed at the sample (10); an image sensor (18) that converts an optical image into an array of electronic signals; and an imaging lens assembly (16) that receives rays from the beam source (14) that are transmitted through the sample (10) and forms an image on the image sensor (18). The imaging lens assembly (16) can further receive rays from the beam source (14) that are reflected off of the sample (10) and form a second image on the image sensor (18). The imaging lens assembly (16) receives the rays from the sample (10) and forms the image on the image sensor (18) without splitting and recombining the rays.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An imaging microscope for generating a two-dimensional image of a sample, the imaging microscope comprising: a beam source that emits a temporally coherent illumination beam, the illumination beam including a plurality of rays; an illumination lens assembly that directs the illumination beam at the sample without splitting and recombining the illumination beam, the illumination lens assembly adjusting the illumination beam so that the illumination beam illuminates a two-dimensional illuminated area on the sample all at once; an image sensor that converts an optical image into an array of electronic signals, the image sensor including a two-dimensional array of sensors that are used to construct a two-dimensional image; and an imaging lens assembly that receives rays from the beam source that are transmitted through the sample and forms an image on the image sensor without splitting and recombining the received rays.
2. The imaging microscope of claim 1 wherein the beam source further emits a temporally coherent, second illumination beam, the second illumination beam including a plurality of second rays.
3. The imaging microscope of claim 2 further comprising a reflection lens assembly that directs the second illumination beam at the sample without splitting and recombining the second illumination beam, the reflection lens assembly adjusting the second illumination beam so that the second illumination beam illuminates a two-dimensional illuminated area on the sample all at once.
4. The imaging microscope of claim 3 wherein the imaging lens assembly further receives second rays from the second illumination beam that are reflected off of the sample and forms a second image on the image sensor without splitting and recombining the received second rays.
5. The imaging microscope of claim 1 wherein the beam source is a MIR beam source and the illumination beam is at a beam wavelength that is within the MIR range; and wherein the illumination lens assembly is refractive in the MIR range.
6. The imaging microscope of claim 1 wherein the illumination lens assembly magnifies the illumination beam.
7. The imaging microscope of claim 1 wherein the illumination lens assembly adjusts the size of the illumination beam so that the illuminated area on the sample is at least approximately twenty millimeters squared.
8. The imaging microscope of claim 7 wherein the beam source is a MIR beam source and the illumination beam is at a beam wavelength that is within the MIR range; and wherein the illumination lens assembly is refractive in the MIR range.
9. The imaging microscope of claim 1 wherein the imaging lens assembly includes a refractive lens that directs the rays received by the imaging lens assembly.
10. The imaging microscope of claim 1 wherein the imaging lens assembly receives the rays from a plurality of points on the sample and forms the image on the image sensor without splitting and recombining the received rays.
11. The imaging microscope of claim 1 wherein the imaging lens assembly collimates the received rays.
12. An imaging microscope for generating a two-dimensional image of a sample, the imaging microscope comprising: a beam source that emits a temporally coherent illumination beam, the illumination beam including a plurality of rays; a reflection lens assembly that directs the illumination beam at the sample without splitting and recombining the illumination beam, the reflection lens assembly adjusting the illumination beam so that the illumination beam illuminates a two-dimensional illuminated area on the sample all at once; an image sensor that converts an optical image into an array of electronic signals, the image sensor including a two-dimensional array of sensors that are used to construct the two-dimensional image; and an imaging lens assembly that receives rays from the beam source that are reflected off of the sample and forms an image on the image sensor without splitting and recombining the received rays.
13. The imaging microscope of claim 12 wherein the imaging lens assembly includes an objective lens and a projection lens, and wherein the imaging microscope further includes a beam splitter positioned between the objective lens and the projection lens, the beam splitter redirecting a first portion of the rays received by the imaging lens assembly at the sample, and the beam splitter transmitting a second portion of the rays received by the imaging lens assembly.
14. The imaging microscope of claim 12 wherein the beam source is a MIR beam source and the illumination beam is at a beam wavelength that is within the MIR range; and wherein the reflection lens assembly is refractive in the MIR range.
15. The imaging microscope of claim 12 wherein the reflection lens assembly magnifies the illumination beam.
16. The imaging microscope of claim 12 wherein the reflection lens assembly adjusts the size of the illumination beam so that the illuminated area on the sample is at least approximately twenty millimeters squared.
17. The imaging microscope of claim 12 wherein the imaging lens assembly includes a refractive lens that directs the rays received by the imaging lens assembly.
18. The imaging microscope of claim 12 wherein the imaging lens assembly receives the rays from a plurality of points on the sample and forms the image on the image sensor without splitting and recombining the received rays.
19. The imaging microscope of claim 12 wherein the imaging lens assembly collimates the received rays.
20. A method for generating a two-dimensional image of a sample, the method comprising the steps of: emitting a temporally coherent illumination beam with a beam source, the illumination beam including a plurality of rays; directing the illumination beam at the sample with an illumination lens assembly without splitting and recombining the illumination beam, the illumination lens assembly adjusting the illumination beam so that the illumination beam illuminates a two-dimensional illuminated area on the sample all at once; converting an optical image into an array of electronic signals with an image sensor, the image sensor including the two-dimensional array of sensors that are used to construct a two-dimensional image; receiving rays from the beam source that are transmitted through the sample with an imaging lens assembly; and forming an image on the image sensor with the rays received from the beam source by the imaging lens assembly that are transmitted through the sample without splitting and recombining the received rays.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of emitting a temporally coherent, second illumination beam with the beam source, the second illumination beam including a plurality of second rays.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of directing the second illumination beam at the sample with a reflection lens assembly without splitting and recombining the second illumination beam, the reflection lens assembly adjusting the second illumination beam so that the second illumination beam illuminates a two-dimensional illuminated area on the sample all at once.
23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of receiving second rays from the beam source that are reflected off of the sample with the imaging lens assembly; and forming a second image on the image sensor with the second rays received from the beam source by the imaging lens assembly that are reflected off of the sample without splitting and recombining the received second rays.
24. A method for generating a two-dimensional image of a sample, the method comprising the steps of: emitting a temporally coherent illumination beam with a beam source, the illumination beam including a plurality of rays; directing the illumination beam at the sample with a reflection lens assembly without splitting and recombining the illumination beam, the reflection lens assembly adjusting the illumination beam so that the illumination beam illuminates a two-dimensional illuminated area on the sample all at once; converting an optical image into an array of electronic signals with an image sensor, the image sensor including a two-dimensional array of sensors that are used to construct the two-dimensional image; receiving rays from the beam source that are reflected off of the sample with an imaging lens assembly; and forming an image on the image sensor with the rays received from the beam source by the imaging lens assembly that are reflected off of the sample without splitting and recombining the received rays.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of receiving includes the imaging lens assembly having an objective lens and a projection lens, and further comprising the steps of redirecting a first portion of the rays received by the imaging lens assembly at the sample with a beam splitter positioned between the objective lens and the projection lens, and transmitting a second portion of the rays received by the imaging lens assembly with the beam splitter.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 25, 2012
August 30, 2016
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